Ocean of Light
by All1Word
Summary: Sora, Donald, and Goofy are kidnapped by a mysterious group with a nefarious plan. They will have to overcome their fiendish captors, a host of intricate schemes, and the dark ghosts of the past if they are to escape. May contain some mild spoilers!
1. Disquieting

**_Chapter One_: Disquieting**

* * *

><p>The wind whistling around the shadowy rooftops of Steeple Town had done little to lessen the dense bank of fog that plagued the town. The townsfolk insisted no-one had set foot at street level in years, not since the Storm. The fog reached as high as the third floor of the buildings that crowded the winding lanes and alleyways, and the citizens dared not venture into its murky depths, indoors or out. The high, shadowy rooftops were the roads here, and only the buildings with four floors or more were occupied.<p>

This suited the cloaked figure nicely, as did the town's state of perpetual night. The Storm hadn't brought that about; it had always been, and it made for a terribly eerie atmosphere. The Figure was waiting – waiting and watching – as had been the case for so very long. Sworn to protect the worlds, to protect them from those that would endanger their safety and the safety of their inhabitants; that was the vow the Figure had taken. It had been a long time since the vow had been made, but it was an important one, and one of the few things left. Duty and loss had made it more than a vow – it had become a reason to live.

The Figure had sensed it – a calling; a unseen shadow that was creeping, slowly, quietly, in some far corner of the worlds. Its faint whispers had called out, and the Figure had heard them, seen its sinister shifting, and was determined to put an end to its coming evil, hopefully before it started, or at least before it did some irreparable damage. But it would not do to act directly; it was not anyone's place to meddle in the affairs of the worlds at large. That was another vow, and, unlike _some_, the Figure intended to keep it.

But first, the facts needed to be verified. When you have a hunch, it is best to make sure it is a very good hunch, preferably before you act on it. What was it the Grand Master used to say? _Villainy may cast forth its machinations, but be wary not to act rashly, lest you become a part of them._ He had always had a penchant for histrionics.

There it was again! The shifting; not dark, not light, just shifting… Its identity was a mystery, and its intent unknowable, but the Figure knew what must be done.

"It's happening again."

* * *

><p>In a white chamber, in a world on the divide between light and darkness, another figure was facing a strange crystal ball in the centre of the room. This castle was strange, a shifting mass of rooms and hallways, interconnected yet never fully whole. He was deep in thought about the puzzling place, and its potential applications, as a portal opened up behind him.<p>

Out of the Corridor of Darkness stepped a young woman in a Black Coat - an unnecessarily thin Black Coat, to be honest, but pointing that out would be a waste of time. With one fluid motion, she flicked back her hood, threw back her hair and adjusted the shoulders of her coat, proceeding to brush imaginary dust off of herself.

"Telzane, you have _got_ to stop sending me on these pointless patrols. There isn't anyone in the castle, you know!"

"My dear Mediana, you have returned."

"Are you even listening to me? You're not listening to me, are you?"

"Forgive me, my mind is not my own. The Master has sent word of the fruition of the first stage of our plans."

"Wait - he knows about our plans? It was Ziaoban, wasn't it? Oh, I could wring his neck! How did _he_ find out? Did Ormyne-"

"My dear girl, calm yourself and listen! There has been no revelation of our scheme. I simply refer to the plan that we, as a whole, are working towards. The plan devised by the Master."

"Oh. That's all right, in that case. Nothing to worry about. We're ready to go then?"

"Indeed. The Event is finished. There is no further need to delay. I shall begin Stage Two immediately. Please summon the others, if you would be so kind."

"Honestly? I've only just gotten back, and you're telling me I have to leave again? It's a good thing this _arrangement_ is only temporary, until the 'fruition' of our own plans, otherwise I might have had to Blink you."

The figure laughed darkly, as Mediana vanished through a portal behind him. "Perhaps you should, before I decide that you have outlived your usefulness…"

* * *

><p>Destiny Islands had been peaceful since Xehanort had been defeated once and for all. Or, at least, Sora hoped it was once and for all. It hadn't been all that long ago that things had seemed their worst. Barely three months had gone by since King Mickey had summoned him and Riku for the 'Mark of Mastery' exam, and he didn't really want to relax and assume that everything was back to normal just yet. Ever since that first night when the islands had been swallowed up by the darkness, it had just been one adventure after another; or, as Riku would say, "One <em>disaster<em> after another."

But things were quiet now. King Mickey had taken Kairi to see Radiant Garden for a couple of weeks, now that things were normal-er, and Riku was off doing…something. He wouldn't tell Sora what, which only made him more curious. Riku had mentioned having strange dreams not long after they had arrived home. Apparently, this had been happening a lot while they had all been away, ever since the two of them had been trapped in the Dark World, and Kairi had rescued them.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Sora," he had said. "I only mentioned it since I thought it was strange when they didn't go away when everything settled down. Forget I said anything."

He had seemed worried, though, and that had only made _Sora_ worried, since it wasn't like Riku to be bothered about something like a dream. He hadn't mentioned them since, though, so maybe they had gone away. Sora couldn't help thinking about the dreams he used to have, before all of this started. He still didn't fully understand those; maybe he never would.

"Yaaaaawn…." All this talk of dreams was making him sleepy. Maybe he should take a nap. The tree might not be the best place though. And besides, there was something weird. Something he just couldn't put his finger on… Something… Loud!

He hadn't seen the monsters arrive, and he didn't know where the loud static noises were coming from. All he could make out in the bright light was Riku running towards him and then…darkness…

* * *

><p>King Mickey was amazed at how well the restoration of Radiant Garden was coming along. It had been years since it had been any better than a ruin, but now it was nearly back to how he remembered it from so long ago; so long ago when Ansem the Wise had shown him around his masterpiece, his kingdom. The poor king had been so proud of his life's work that it had saddened Mickey when he next saw it, crumbling and empty, no sign of the beautiful flowers that had given it its name. But that sad place was fast becoming nothing more than a memory.<p>

"The hardest part has been trying to remove the crystal cliffs that have grown up all over the place," Leon had told them, when they had met him at the Restoration Committee headquarters in Merlin's house. "That and trying to find out what it was like back in the castle's heyday. Our memories are limited, but Tron has dug up an awful lot of structural data, and we should be able to piece together how it looked using these paintings you brought, Your Majesty."

Leon and the others had asked if King Mickey could recall any specific details about the castle and what it had been like before, and the King had recalled that Ansem had given him several paintings to the castle and gardens as a gift, a souvenir to remember his visit. The King of Radiant Garden had been very grateful for Mickey's warning about not meddling in the workings of the heart. It had given voice to a fear that had been plaguing his own heart for quite a while before that: that what he and his apprentices were doing was dangerous and unethical. Unfortunately, both kings had realised too late that the apprentices had been the ones in control of the experiments all along; Ansem the Wise had been little more than a figurehead, and had been involved and informed of only as much as the apprentices had deemed acceptable. But it would not be wise to dwell on the past.

"The gardens are really beautiful!" Kairi called from the edge of the walkway. "And they're not even finished. They'll probably look amazing when they are."

It had seemed a good idea to take Kairi with him when he went to bring Leon the paintings. After all, this was her world, and it was unfair that she had never gotten the chance to see it properly. But King Mickey couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. Something he just couldn't put his finger on…

"Something isn't right. But what..?"

"_It's time…"_

The voice startled the King. Where had it come from?

"Your Majesty, what was that voice?" Kairi whispered, running over to him.

"I don't know, Kairi, but I think we're about to find out!"

"_I am a friend. I am here to help you, to prevent the harm that might come to you otherwise. And you must hurry if we are to right what has been wronged, and fix what has been broken."_ A portal opened up in front of them; it was not a Corridor of Darkness, but Mickey recognised it, though from where he couldn't say. The voice floated through, muffled, yet almost echoing. _"Your Majesties, you both have hearts pure and radiant enough to pass through the darkness unscathed. You must hurry. Time is short."_

* * *

><p>In Disney Castle, there was never a dull day. In Disney Town, there were even fewer. And yet, it was positively tedious in comparison to all the adventures Donald and Goofy had become used to. Not even Pete was menacing the town anymore and Maleficent had completely disappeared to who knows where. Nothing was happening and it was getting very boring very fast. Not that either Donald or Goofy wanted Heartless to start swarming up and attacking the place, but now the King was gone too and… well, you get the picture.<p>

Queen Minnie had been busy organizing the Festival of Dreams and Daisy had been helping. Chip and Dale were working on a top secret Gummi Ship design with Cid, so they were constantly busy. And with everyone in town getting their entries in the Shooting Star Competition ready, they were all preoccupied too. The Captain of the Guard and the Court Magician were lamenting their unfortunate position when the portal appeared.

"_Donald and Goofy, right?"_ the voice called out of the portal. _"Listen, I don't want to alarm you guys or anything but-"_

"We're already alarmed!" Donald butted in. "What's the big idea, coming along, opening portals when people're trying to-"

"_I didn't say interrupt me. Did I say interrupt me? No! It's a bad idea to interrupt a guy when he's talking; don't forget that. Anyway, where was I? Oh right! I don't want to alarm you, but Sora's in really big trouble, and I think he needs your help. Well, maybe not _your _help, necessarily, but he needs someone's help and I guess you two are just going to have to do."_

"Uh, how did you know he was in trouble?" Goofy asked, picking his shield up off the ground next to him, while Donald grabbed his stave from the nearby table.

"_Because I'm one of the big troubles he's in the middle of! You should really get into the Corridor now..."_

* * *

><p>So, there's the beginning of my first proper fanfic. It's just a short chapter to start with; the next one ought to be a bit longer.<p>

Any and all advice and constructive criticism is more than welcome, since I could probably use it!

Needless to say, I don't own Kingdom Hearts - Square Enix and Disney do.

See y'all next chapter!


	2. Castle Oblivion

_Chapter 2: _Castle Oblivion

* * *

><p>When Sora woke up, he was surrounded by white tiles.<p>

He was lying on a cold floor, surrounded by bright white walls, and he couldn't shake the feeling he had been there before. His ears were ringing, and he felt like he had been hit very hard with a very large mallet, but otherwise he seemed unhurt. As he struggled to his feet, he became aware of another person nearby, standing on the other side of the large hall.

The Black Coated figure was watching him intently with an air of subdued interest. He was standing in front of a few steps that led up to a large door. Glancing behind himself as he stood up, Sora discovered that he too had a door to his back, though that one was much more foreboding. It appeared to be sealed off with a strange flowing barrier, and it didn't seem as though he'd be leaving that way any time soon. After swaying on the spot for a bit, Sora finally managed to gain his balance, and called out to the stranger.

"Where am I?" That was a good way to start, Sora thought. A bit aggressive maybe, but people in Black Coats were only good guys about a quarter of the time, and it didn't hurt to be cautious.

"Be calm. We apologise most profusely for this slight transgression. It was unfortunate that your arrival had to be as severe as it was, but there was…interference."

The man – it was a man; his voice gave it away – had pulled his hood way up over his head until his face was totally hidden. Sora did _not_ like that, not one bit. Though he supposed that hiding your face was one of the perks to owning a Black Coat; that and having protection from the Darkness infecting your heart. He wondered who the man had meant when he said 'your friends'. After all, he had lots of friends: Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Cloud - the list went on and on; it could be any - wait… There was something…

"Riku!" Sora yelled, remembering suddenly: Riku had been running toward him when everything went dark. "Where's Riku?"

"…I fear that I know nothing whatsoever of your friends whereabouts. However, I am sure that you can rest assured that, wherever he is, he is being taken care-"

A Corridor of Darkness suddenly opened up to Sora's right, and through it ran Donald and Goofy. They barely managed to slow down in time to stop themselves from crashing into him.

"Sora!" they cried in unison.

"Donald! Goofy!"

The mysterious man looked somewhat startled. After taking a moment to collect himself, he said, "It is always pleasant to witness a touching reunion such as this; however, time is of limited quantity, so we must be swift."

"Watch out, Sora!" Goofy yelled. "They're the bad guys!"

He knew it! People who wore Black Coats were hardly ever good guys.

"What do you want?" There was more than a hint of anger in Sora's voice now. There were always more bad guys threatening the safety of the worlds, and he was getting pretty sick of it.

"How perceptive of you to notice the air of villainy which hangs so closely about me," the Black Coated man rambled, completely ignoring Sora's question. "I fear that I envy you such senses."

Sora was getting very tired of the man and his refusal to talk straight.

"What did you bring us here for? There must have been a reason." Sora's voice was quite loud now. The man must have noticed that, because his attention snapped back to him immediately.

"Naturally. We would not have summoned you here without cause."

"And where is here, exactly?" asked Donald.

"I found it doubtful that you would remember it," the man said, laughing darkly to himself. "It seems that I was not mistaken. This is Castle Oblivion. It is an enigmatic and circuitous place; its convolutions are many, and it has dumbfounded you all once before, when its halls were stalked by a vile tyrant and his foul cohorts. Here you lost your memories and gained instead new lies in place of your old lives. At the end of your winding journey you unseated the Castle's old Lord, that fiendish Nobody, and the white witch Naminé restored your old memories at the cost of those that she had forged for you here. So you see that is why you cannot recall it, in spite of the time you had spent here previously."

"You still haven't told us why you brought us here!" Sora shouted indignantly.

The man paused for a moment, seemingly for nothing more than dramatic effect, before replying, "We have called you here to awaken your sleeping heart."

Sora was taken aback. That was not the answer he had been expecting.

"My heart isn't sleeping! It's fine!"

"Hmm…" The man didn't appear to be listening. "It would be best for you to venture forth into the Castle, rising through its floors until you reach the great truth that awaits you."

"And why should we do that?" Donald asked, a sly grin on spreading across his beak.

"Because you lack any other options," he replied, gesturing towards the flowing barrier that sealed away the door behind them.

And with that, he bowed backwards into a Corridor of Darkness and disappeared.

"I wonder who he was…" Goofy thought aloud. "He didn't seem all that bad for a bad guy."

"Who cares if he seemed bad or not!" Donald yelled in reply, frustration creeping up on him. "He _is_ a bad guy, so we're going to have to stop him if we want to get out of this castle."

Sora was deep in thought, trying to figure a way out of the Castle. At the sound of Donald's shouting, however, he looked up. "I think that might be it. The barrier must be his, so unless we defeat him, we can't get out."

"But that means that we'll have to go into the Castle to find him…" Goofy's voice was a bit tremulous.

"I guess so."

* * *

><p>Telzane whisked into the room in a shower of raindrops.<p>

"What is the meaning of this, Mediana!" he cried, shaking with rage as he lowered his hood.

"Huh? Are you all right, Telzane? Did the meeting with the Keybearer not go well?"

"His insidious cohorts appeared through a Corridor! Did you bring them here?"

"N-no! Of course not! I've been here the whole time!" The young woman was seated on a chair not far from the crystal sphere in the centre of the room.

"Well, if not you then who? There are few potential suspects-" he stopped suddenly, the answer dawning on him. "Ziaoban…"

"You rang, boss?" a smug voice replied from behind him, as another man also wearing a Black Coat – albeit a much slimmer one – stepped out of a Corridor.

"Ziaoban, did you bring the boy's friends here?"

"Sheesh! Someone's in a bad mood. Aren't you always telling us to calm down? Maybe you should try it yourself some time."

"Answer the question!"

"Of course I did. Did you really expect him to fight our little monsters all on his own? Keyblade or no, that's no small feat."

"I should have you sent to the Basement for this!"

"Ouch…You said that like it was a punishment. I don't think our friends down below would like that very much."

"Now, now, Ziaoban," Mediana interjected, giggling. "Don't be naughty. You've already been a bad boy enough as it is!"

"In that case," Telzane continued, ignoring the young woman's jests. "Perhaps I should have you Blinked instead?"

The younger man grimaced at the suggestion. "Don't you think that's a tad harsh?" he said, raising his hands in an attempt at a calming gesture. "Besides, the Master would never sign off on the unnecessary Blinking of a potentially useful asset for such a… small crime."

"True," Telzane replied, a cruel smile playing across his face. "But I _can_ send you to be the first test for the Keyblade Warrior…"

* * *

><p>Sora, Donald and Goofy, having pushed through the door at the end of the hall, were awestruck with the sight that greeted them beyond.<p>

Traverse Town's streets were an all too familiar sight. Bathed in the soft glow of street lamps that flickered every so often, the empty streets were warm and welcoming. But the trio was not concerned with the nostalgic beauty of the streets: they were more concerned with how the streets had gotten there in the first place.

"H-how did we get…?" Sora began, turning around to check if the white hallway was still on the other side of the door behind him. "We're still inside the Castle…"

"Gawrsh…" mumbled Goofy. "This sure is strange."

"It's magic," said Donald, with an air of authority. "The Castle must be enchanted."

Sora looked at Donald sceptically. "Why would they go to all the trouble of enchanting a castle? It'd be easier just to fight us."

"Perhaps you're not ready yet."

The heroes whirled around to find the source of the voice. Standing in front of them was a man they knew well.

Leon raised a hand to his mouth in contemplation as he spoke again. "They must want you to fulfil some sort of requirement. Or maybe the Castle itself is important…"

"Leon!" the three called out.

"Leon, what are you doing in this Castle?" Sora hadn't seen Leon in some time, and this was the last place he had expected to find him - or anyone else he knew, for that matter.

"I am not Leon."

"What?" Donald asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I am not Leon. I am an entity forged from your memories to act as a guide and pensive construct for the purposes of reawakening-" Leon just stopped talking mid-sentence and stood, expressionless, as though he had made perfect sense.

To the trio, Leon's explanation had just made things more confusing. Goofy was particularly stumped it seemed. "So… You're not Leon?"

"No. But then, this world is not real either. It too has come from your memories. This Castle has been filled with worlds to which your heart is deeply connected, whether you realise it or not." The Not-Leon was pulling at something as he spoke, as if there was some unseen thread dangling in front of him and he had to fix that.

Sora suspected that this was the work of the 'Man from the Entrance' in one way or another, and he didn't particularly like his friends being used to toy with him. "Are you with that guy from the hallway?" He had to know for sure; it was important.

"I am a projection of your memories. I will be gone after you leave. I am only here to warn you."

"Warn us about what?" Donald chimed in.

"About those," Not-Leon said pointing towards the other end of the street as a strange sound – almost like television static – broke the air of the otherwise quiet street.

A group of sinister… _things_ had appeared, shuffling and shambling towards the three friends and Not-Leon. Their movements were erratic and just a little unnerving, and they were transparent, almost like ghosts but more substantial, and they had an odd, broken sort of fluidity to them, like shattered glass. They were not Heartless or Nobodies or Dream Eaters, and the symbol that was emblazoned across their little chests was one that Sora didn't recognize - it was in three parts: the part on the right was like a jagged lightning bolt; the part on the left looked like half a heart-shape, but it was tattered and torn; and the part in the centre was like a crown, but with a strange, spiked base.

"What are they?" Sora asked, summoning his Keyblade.

A voice from above answered Sora's question.

"They are Neverminds."

* * *

><p>The surroundings that King Mickey found himself in when he stepped out of the portal were all too familiar. It had been some time since he had visited Yen Sid, but he had seen this tower enough times to recognise it's every little detail. The old Master himself was seated behind the huge desk, apparently deep in thought.<p>

"Master Yen Sid!" King Mickey exclaimed, as Kairi appeared from the portal behind him. "You summoned us here?" That didn't seem quite right; Mickey was sure he would have recognised Yen Sid's voice, and the voice that had spoken to them was nothing like it.

"No, Mickey. It was not I who brought you here. Though who it was, I cannot say." He sounded distant, as though his thoughts were elsewhere. "I am glad of the convenience, however."

"What do ya mean?"

"I was going to summon you to me, Mickey, and have you bring Kairi as well. But now you are here, saving me the hardship."

"Excuse me, sir," Kairi piped up from behind the King. "I don't mean to be rude, and I know it's a lot of questions to ask all at once, but… Who are you? How do you know me? And why did you need to bring us here?"

"Kairi," King Mickey replied. "This is my old teacher, Master Yen Sid. He taught me how to use the Keyblade, and has given me sound advice for as long as I have been the King of Disney Castle."

"I did not intend for you to be whisked here on a whim as you have, Kairi. I had intended to have Mickey explain the situation to you beforehand. I suppose this is for the best, however; after all, our time may be painfully short…"

"Huh? Is something wrong, Yen Sid?"

"Mickey, I cannot shake the feeling that something terrible is about to transpire. I wished to call you here so that Kairi may be trained as a Keyblade Master."

"A Keyblade Master?" Kairi was shocked. She could hold her own in a battle, but she had never thought of herself as a fighter. "But… I don't really know a lot about fighting with the Keyblade… How could _I_ become a Keyblade Master?"

"You must have more faith in yourself," the old wizard replied sagely. "You must train to become skilled at the Keyblade, but all the power you need is inside you. Your heart is stronger than you realise."

"Don't worry, Kairi!" Mickey reassured the startled girl. "You're going to be in safe hands. Master Yen Sid is one of the most skilled Keyblade Masters that ever lived. He'll teach ya everything you need to know."

"No, Mickey, she shall not be my apprentice."

"Then who-?"

"You shall train her."

"What?" Now Mickey was the one who was shocked. There was no way he could train Kairi! She was certainly capable, but he had no idea how to train an apprentice.

"Yes, Mickey. It is past time you accepted the full responsibility of the mantle that I entrusted to you almost twelve years ago. I have taken onto myself too many apprentices over the years, and I long ago doffed the role of Master."

"There has to be someone else who would be better-"

"No. There was another whom I should have liked to entrust this duty to; one whose heart was already connected to Kairi's. But she has been lost to us, at least for now, and we cannot wait any longer. You know this as well as I, Mickey."

"Ok… In that case: Kairi, I'll do my best to teach ya everything I know."

* * *

><p>The voice came from a Black Coated Figure who stood on a balcony above the nearby coffee shop, looking out over the scene unfolding below.<p>

"What? What are Neverminds?" Sora asked, startled by the figure's sudden appearance.

"Hah! Now that'd be telling," the figure laughed. He jumped down from the balcony and began to walk towards the group.

Sora turned his Keyblade in the figure's direction and shouted, "Don't come any closer!"

"Is that any way to treat a person?" the figure said, still laughing as he stopped in his tracks.

He pulled down his hood, revealing his face beneath. He was medium height, and a little bit thinner than average, and his hair was bright yellow. Not blond really, but instead a strange, full yellow; it was shoulder-length, spiked, standing up in all directions, and just a little bit frizzy. Underneath his eyes were two tiny, turquoise, teardrop-shaped markings, which made him look like he was crying, at least in theory. A casual smile was playing across his features, tugging at the corner of his mouth as though he had some private joke that he was both desperate and reluctant to share with the world.

"Though then again, your track record on that account has been a bit… lacking."

"Are you with the other Black Coated guy?" Sora had had enough of these Black Coated people: all villains and bad guys were officially going down.

"You could say that… possibly. But it's my turn now, Keyblade master. In case you're wondering, my name's Ziaoban. Don't forget that."

"Why did you bring us here? The other guy said it was to awaken my heart… but that doesn't make any sense…"

"Yes." It was the Not-Leon who answered. "You were brought here to awaken your sleeping heart."

"But Sora isn't sleeping," Goofy protested. "His heart is safe… isn't it?"

"Oh, his heart's fine," Ziaoban assured them. "Absolutely fine… in a manner of speaking. It doesn't change the plans any though! You're going to travel through this Castle, fight the Neverminds, regain your lost memories, and wake up your snoozing heart; that's why I'm here – to make sure you do."

Sora liked this less and less with every passing moment. "And if I don't?"

"Then we're going to have a problem, aren't we? Anyway, I'll be seeing you when you get out of this little town. In the meantime, 'Leon' here will guide you through." And with that he turned around and strolled into a Corridor of Darkness, disappearing from the scene.

The Not-Leon turned to them. "The Neverminds can only be defeated by releasing them from their tragic existence with the Keyblade. You know how to use the Keyblade, yes?"

"Of course!" It was like they barely even knew who he was!

"Good. Then please annihilate them. It is kinder."

There was something weird going on here – weirder than normal, anyway – but Sora couldn't seem to put his finger on it. "Is that it?"

"Not entirely. Somewhere in this world there is a memory, one you must recall. Seek it out, only then will the way be open to you."

"Okay, I guess that's alright-"

"There is more. This world contains only one memory, but as you progress through the worlds, more memories will need to be obtained in order to free you from your imprisonment."

"Okay, but then-"

"You will know that the way is open when a seal appears for you to unlock."

"A seal?"

"A Keyhole, if you prefer."

"Oh, okay-"

"Be warned, however. Not all of these memories will be your own. The chains of the memories which bind your heart are far-reaching, Sora; there are many hearts connected to yours whose memories you must recover if all is to return. You may not like what you find, and you may not understand what you see, but you must persevere."

"Oh, is that all?" Donald asked sarcastically.

"It will be a long and arduous journey, true, but you will gain much… and lose even more…" And with that he was gone; vanished as though he had never really been there at all.

The Neverminds dashed towards them with a terrifying swiftness. Their glassy bodies shivered with the movement. Sora lunged at one with his Keyblade, but it disappeared like a picture fading from a television screen. Another one was more aggressive, it seemed. It had leapt into the air in front of Goofy and was slashing at his upraised shield with its serrated claws. The sound the razor sharp talons made when they struck the metal was like a high-pitched screech – it made Sora think of an old film Riku made him watch once, where a cat-burglar cut through a window with a diamond ring. He decided he was going to get hit by these monsters as little as possible. As Sora looked around to try and find the Nevermind that had fled from him, another jumped at him out of nowhere.

"Fire!"

With that, the Nevermind was gone; defeated, Sora guessed. "Thanks, Donald!" Sora called out, just as the Nevermind from earlier appeared to his right. He blocked the sharp claws' attempts to make contact, slashing with the Keyblade when the monster stopped in-between attacks. Before long, the Nevermind was no more. Behind him, Goofy had managed to dispose of the one he had been fighting, and after a quick Thunder spell, Donald too had won his battle. The square was as empty as it had been when they arrived.

"Is that all you've got?" Donald shouted mockingly at nothing in particular.

"I wonder what those Nevermind things were." Goofy said, turning to Sora.

"I don't know, but I don't think they're the last ones we're going to see." Sora replied, walking towards a street he remembered well. The Second District was that way, and so was the Town's Keyhole; Not-Leon had mentioned something about Keyholes so it seemed as good a place as any to start looking.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Ormyne. It is pleasant to see that you have returned to us."<p>

Telzane was standing in front of the crystal ball again, watching Sora's progress through the Castle.

The figure that had just appeared from a Corridor in the corner of the room raised a hand to pull back the hood of the Black Coat that concealed her face.

"You didn't keep the trick up for very long, did you? I mean you could have helped me out more." The spiky-haired blond derided from the other side of the sphere.

The white-haired woman who now stood uncovered before them shook her head, unconcerned. She was taller than either of the two men in the room, and her Coat swirled around her – long, billowing, and perhaps a little too large for her: the sleeves swamped her gloved hands, but she didn't seem to mind. She walked towards the centre of the room to join her associates at the crystal ball, her Coat's hem nearly brushing the floor.

"It was unnecessary to continue the charade. They saw through it easily."

"Maybe if you'd kept it up for more than three sentences then they might have fallen for it better," Ziaoban stormed.

"Calm, Ziaoban," Telzane warned.

"He's right, you know," Mediana interjected from a chair to the woman's right. "You outright told them you weren't their friend. How are they supposed to fall for it if you can't even sell them that?"

"I am not an actress," Ormyne replied, gazing into the crystal. "Not any more at any rate."

"Do not confuse yourself, my dear," Telzane intoned as he ran a hand through his hair. "_You_ were never an actress. Those are someone else's memories."

"There are so many memories…" the woman thought aloud, her voice laced with melancholy.

"Remember, Ziaoban," Telzane continued, turning to the man across from him. "The young Keyblade-wielding Warrior will be anticipating your rendezvous. It would be unkindly to leave him waiting in rapt expectation."

"I have until he gets back from the fake Traverse Town."

"It will be soon," Ormyne reminded him, returning from her sorrowful contemplation. "The boy is observing the memory as we speak."

* * *

><p>The sight that awaited Sora and company as they entered Traverse Town's Second District was not one they had been expecting. Another Sora was in front of them, running forwards, toward the edge of the pathway where it met the fountain, home to the town's Keyhole.<p>

"M-me?" Sora stammered, staggering backwards.

As the Other-Sora stopped, a man stumbled in front of him and fell to the ground. A bright light emerged from his body in pulsing waves as his heart left his body. The stray heart moved away and in an instant the Darkness within it had formed a Heartless. As the trio watched, more Heartless appeared and surrounded the Other-Sora. The group went for their weapons, but he had already taken the fight with the Heartless down into the street below. Before they could follow, a Nobody – a very small and weak looking Nobody, but a Nobody nonetheless – appeared where the man had fallen. It disappeared as soon as it had arrived, into a small dark portal, and the friends were left standing alone again. But it was not for long.

The bright light that had pulsated out of the man when his heart left his body had returned, and seemed to be condensing. When the light had dissipated, a Nevermind like the ones they had fought in the First District stood in its place, still shuddering its familiar unnerving movements like a broken clockwork toy.

"Another Nevermind!" Donald screeched, leaping at the creature, which disappeared as though it had never been there at all.

As Donald fell to the ground through the now empty air, Sora spoke, stunned. "I remember that. It was almost two years ago, just after I arrived in Traverse Town. That was before I met you guys, or even Leon. I didn't even know what the Heartless were back then."

"And there was a Nobody and a Nevermind here too!" Goofy exclaimed.

"So then how come we've never heard of these Nevermind things before, huh?" Donald flared as he picked himself up off the ground.

"I dunno. But maybe that Ziaoban guy might."

As they talked, a bright light began to shine behind them. A small door next to the entrance to the First District, a door that led to a meeting place that Leon and co. had sometimes used, was suddenly emblazoned with a large Keyhole.

"What is that..?" Donald wondered aloud.

"I guess that must be the seal that Leon – or whoever he was – talked about."

"I think you have to use the Keyblade on it, Sora," Goofy suggested.

"Alright," Sora said, raising the Keyblade. "Here goes nothing!"

* * *

><p>A blonde haired man in a Black Coat was the first thing that the three friends saw when they came out of the Door.<p>

"Ziaoban!" they yelled in unison.

"Glad to see you took my advice to heart. I'd have been _so_ disappointed if you had forgotten me." The man raised an arm in greeting, showing just how tightly the fabric of his Coat clung to him.

"We wouldn't forget someone like you!" Donald shouted.

"Time was, this Castle would have done that to you. But that was under Marluxia, and he's long gone."

"Just shut up and explain what's going on – properly, I mean!" Sora knew it wasn't like him to be this angry, but ever since he had arrived in this Castle he had known something was wrong.

"Well, looks like even if you haven't forgotten me, you've definitely forgotten my brother, or else you might have been inclined to be nicer to me. Oh, well, nothing I can do about that I suppose."

"Your brother?" Goofy was taken aback, it seemed.

"Well… something like that, anyway. I like to think of him as my brother – just don't tell the others, okay?" he replied, smirking.

"Are you going to explain or not?" Sora inquired gruffly.

"No. But I am going to fight you."

Lightning crackled in the air around him, sparks flying in all directions. Slowly, he raised his arms up level with his shoulders, his head moving to look down as he did. The electricity gathered into two bolts – one each to his left and right – before striking his arms - in a flash, two sparking crossbows had appeared in his gloved hands. He gripped the crossbows as he jerked his head upwards, revealing his face, a diabolical grin clouding it.

"Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Ziaoban leapt backwards, away from the group, as he raised his crossbows to point at Sora.<p>

"Stay still, I'll make it quick!"

Sora lifted his Keyblade to attack as Ziaoban aimed at the ceiling.

"This is gonna be shocking!" he shouted, firing twin bolts of lightning from his crossbows. The ceiling crackled and sparked, and two lightning strikes burst forth from the writhing mass of electricity and struck Sora's friends.

"Donald! Goofy!"

"Sorry 'bout that, but I had to get rid of them somehow. This is just between the two of us: mano-a-mano, or whatever."

"That's it!" Sora yelled, lunging forward. "You're going down!"

Ziaoban dodged. "I wonder – how often do you say that?" He fired at Sora three times, and then dodged to one side, careful to watch the boy all the time. Sora blocked the shots and lunged again. Ziaoban was ready, and dodged again, but this time Sora was expecting it, and spun the opposite direction, catching him with a horizontal slash. The young man stumbled backwards, caught off-guard. Sora saw his chance and leapt at him for another combo. Ziaoban recovered quickly and dashed as far away as possible from the Keybearer.

"You haven't got me yet!" he taunted, firing at Sora as the ceiling erupted in more lightning strikes, this time more random and dispersed. Sora blocked the shots again, but a stray bolt from the ceiling caught him on the shoulder. He cried out in pain as Ziaoban ran in a semi-circle around him, firing all the while.

"Take that!"

Sora rolled out of the way in time, as the man launched another attack.

"Is that all you've got?" the villain taunted, firing bolts out of his crossbows as he spun them in his hands.

In a split second, Sora had it: he knew exactly what to do. He blocked the bolts, careful to angle them back towards the other man.

The electrically charged crossbow bolts struck home, stunning Ziaoban, and giving Sora enough time for another two combos. He had the villain on the ropes.

Suddenly, the room darkened.

"Don't forget who's winning here!" Ziaoban thundered.

The man was rising into the air, up to the crackling electrical storm above. This did _not_ look good.

"C'mere, I won't hurt ya!"

Huge blasts of lightning crashed down from the ceiling. It was all Sora could do to dodge them in time. Over and over and over they struck, but Sora was faster; just barely, anyway. After a while, the blasts subsided, and Ziaoban jumped down from the ceiling.

"Hyah!" Sora grunted as he leapt at the man from behind, slashing constantly.

Ziaoban turned at the last second, too late to do anything. As Sora's Keyblade made contact, a flash of light appeared, and everything seemed to stand still.

"I'll win next time…" the man's voice whispered.

* * *

><p>The next second, Ziaoban was flying backwards through the air. He crashed into a wall and came to rest at the foot of it, just as Donald and Goofy were stumbling to their feet.<p>

"Well… You certainly gave me one hell of a fight, didn't you…" he said as he tried to regain his footing. "I guess I might have underestimated you a bit, Sora…"

"I guess…" Sora couldn't explain it, but for some reason he felt sad. "I didn't think it would get so rough."

"You know, I kinda like you. It's a shame… maybe in other circumstances we could have been friends."

"Maybe…"

"Oh well… No point getting all worked up over maybes. We'll meet again. And next time I won't lose."

"Sure!" Sora laughed. It was strange… he felt like he knew this man… like he had met him before.

"I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're kinda friends now. Don't forget that." And with that, he stepped into a Corridor and vanished.

"So where now?" Donald inquired.

"Up those stairs, I guess," Sora replied, his mind still on the young man's strange familiarity. "It's the only way forward."

* * *

><p>The second chapter is up! I cannot believe how long this took. I wanted to make it a good bit longer than the last chapter, and I think I succeeded there! Now I think I have a good enough idea of how I want these chapters to go.<p>

As always, constructive criticism, reviews, and comments of all kinds... well, most kinds, anyway... are welcomed with open arms and a jar of cookies!


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